The modern water heater market is flooded with a diverse range of options, so much so, that it often becomes challenging to choose the most compatible one for your home. Have you got a new home and looking to install a water heater shortly? Should you go for direct water heaters or indirect water heaters? Or, do you think you will opt for tankless water heaters? Well, smart homeowners and experts will often recommend indirect water heaters over the other two options. While the direct and tankless heaters are great by their own means, the indirect water heaters have shown to offer comparatively better efficiency. You can read here to find the best indirect water heater in the market for 35 to 40 gallons
But before you take a look at indirect water heater reviews, let’s go through a comparison study between indirect heaters and the other two options.
Indirect water heater and direct water heater
Indirect water heaters are more efficient compared to traditional direct water heaters, in terms of cost and energy. Direct heaters which are powered by a gas source comes with vent or chimney. When the heater is heated, a good part of the gas tends to go out through chimney or vent. So, say you spend around 100 USD on gas for your direct heater. Based on that calculation, you will lose out on 50 USD through the vent. In other words, a direct heater is just 50 percent efficient on an average.
However, when it comes to vent or chimney, you won’t find this here with an indirect water heater. So, there is no risk of half of the gas passing out via the vent. And that makes an indirect model 99.9 percent efficient- both in terms of money and energy savings.
In direct water heaters, both water heater and boiler operate via separate gas lines during the cold season. But, an indirect heater taps into the energy of the connected boiler and doesn’t demand separate gas line. So, you will find here that the indirect model is more economical in the long run.
Besides, a direct heater comes with several mechanical parts which means a higher bill when you would have to repair the model. On the other hand, an indirect heater unit has lesser number of mechanical parts which means a more economical expense during repair, if need be. A standard indirect heater is made of strong stainless steel which promises a resilient and hassle-free performance for decades.
Indirect water heater and tankless heater
As it has already been mentioned on this site, a direct heater requires separate lines for gas for water heater and boiler. The same rings true for tankless heaters too. In other words, a tankless model require separate lines for gas as well as its own source of electricity. During colder months, you tankless heater and boiler would operate with separate electricity sources and gas lines which eventually implies a drop in efficiency. An indirect water heater does not have such issues and shows comparatively better efficiency.
Then, a tankless system would mean a more expensive venture compared to indirect water heaters. Based on the particular hot water requirements of your home, you might have to install not one but two tankless heaters. But, indirect water heaters ae available in wide variety of sizes and can accommodate any size of household. For example, if it’s a small family, a 35-45 gallon indirect heater would do. Take a look at hod9.com to know more about indirect water heater models for small homes. If it’s a big household, you won’t have to shell out money on two separate models- just get a bigger (70-80 gallons or more) one and it will do.
The bottomline is, a tankless model would be good if you have forced air-furnace at home. But if you have already have a boiler, there cannot be a better option than an indirect heater.
It must be stressed here, an indirect heater scores over tankless systems in terms of efficiency as well. A tankless model can assure maximum 80% efficiency. On the other hand, a boiler system (indirect heater) can promise more than 96% efficiency.
So, which one do you think would be a smarter option for your home?
Harold Price is a home improvement blogger who strives to improve his life and the lives of others. He provides homeowners with helpful tips on how to renovate their homes. His goal is not only to provide easy-to-follow instructions, but also share his own personal experiences for those seeking guidance.
